On the Friday morning, I squeezed in a round of golf at the local course, which just happened to be right next door to the racecourse. Bloody magpies! The kamikazes of the bird world. No warning, not even a flap of wings. That, and the guy following me around on his V8 ride on mower for the first five holes, kind of killed the early morning peace and tranquility, one with nature vibe I was hoping for. So, it was a late getaway, but only 100klm to Menindee Lakes.
First impressions were encouraging. Menindee Lake was full – good sign. A quick look at Google maps, and a free camp at Emu Lake about 10klm south of Menindee, looked promising. It was late afternoon before I arrived, so I set up, sat down with a G & T, and listened to the birdlife. I had the place to myself and it was very quiet. Exploring could wait until the morning.
It was easy to see that I had landed on the edge of a flood plain and could see water from the campsite. That SHOULD have meant my Emu Lake was going to be a blue shimmering haze with the cries of water birds echoing across the water… a quick stroll to the bridge and I was above Billabong Creek, more a billabong than a creek, that arched away to the right, seemingly destined for Emu Lake. I followed it for about 600 metres, but no lake. No problems.
Google maps showed a service track and another direction that ran parallel to the shoreline. I was on my way. Twenty minutes later, I was suppose to be standing waist deep in water. Unfortunately it was a sea of green grasslands, not blue liquid. This can’t be right! A more thorough interrogation of Google Maps showed that Emu Lake was one of only a couple of supposed bodies of water NOT connected to the Menindee Lakes! I only had a couple of desolate water holes to show for my efforts. That hurt.
Still, all was not lost. I would make up for my inattention the next day. So, back to the billabong to see what I could salvage. The bird life was flighty – literally. I didn’t have the patience to wait hours for an endangered boob-faced twit to make an appearance, but there was enough variety to keep it interesting
It was just birds that drew me here (just as well). Historically this area was once part of Kinchega sheep station and now Kinchega National Park. The woolshed and shearers quarters have been preserved and only 100metres from the bridge. A nice diversion, before heading back to the van.
A second night at the campsite and the stars put on a show that night. No wind and the occasional bird cry. I decided to spend some of tomorrow exploring the rest of the lakes system, before moving on.
